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It Took DEF CON Hackers Minutes to Pwn These US Voting Machines

posted by martyb on Sunday July 30 2017, @07:46PM   Printer-friendly
from the a-few-votes-here,-a-few-votes-there... dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

DEF CON After the debacle of the 2000 presidential election count, the US invested heavily in electronic voting systems – but not, it seems, the security to protect them.

This year at the DEF CON hacking conference in Las Vegas, 30 computer-powered ballot boxes used in American elections were set up in a simulated national White House race – and hackers got to work physically breaking the gear open to find out what was hidden inside.

In less than 90 minutes, the first cracks in the systems' defenses started appearing, revealing an embarrassing low level of security. Then one was hacked wirelessly.

"Without question, our voting systems are weak and susceptible. Thanks to the contributions of the hacker community today, we've uncovered even more about exactly how," said Jake Braun, who sold DEF CON founder Jeff Moss on the idea earlier this year.

"The scary thing is we also know that our foreign adversaries – including Russia, North Korea, Iran – possess the capabilities to hack them too, in the process undermining principles of democracy and threatening our national security."

As long as mission-critical systems like cable TV are secure, civilization will be safe.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 31 2017, @01:20AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 31 2017, @01:20AM (#546912)

    In upstate NY (far from NY City), I vote by pencil, blackening spots on a heavy paper ballot. The ballot is scanned by something that looks a bit like an old fax machine, and then saved should a recount be called for. Not sure how the scanned image is counted, anyone know?

    I suppose the scanner software could be hacked? Seems unlikely, since representatives of all parties (at least GOP and Dem) are there to verify the operation of the machine before the polls open.

  • (Score: 5, Funny) by MostCynical on Monday July 31 2017, @02:24AM

    by MostCynical (2589) on Monday July 31 2017, @02:24AM (#546941) Journal

    "verify the operation of the machine before the polls open."

    so, the machine shows one count for one vote for each candidate, or whatever 'test' the manufacturer proscribes.

    How does it do, once there are several thousand votes? How does it go about 'checking' itself, part-way through, and at the end of, voting?

    Think that 'pre-election test' was enough to prove anything? VW, Audi, Mercedes, etc. could all help you learn about getting machines to pass 'tests'...

    --
    "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

  • (Score: 2) by fritsd on Monday July 31 2017, @04:32PM

    by fritsd (4586) on Monday July 31 2017, @04:32PM (#547233) Journal

    I suppose the scanner software could be hacked? Seems unlikely, since common, non-expert representatives of all parties (at least GOP and Dem) are there to verify the operation of the machine after it was stored for 4 years in a padlocked shed that only 60 people have official access to.

    FTFY :-)